


Step by step

by Moira_chan



Series: XanLow Week 2016 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Spoilers, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, No Deeprealms, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, Xanlow Week 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 05:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8150150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moira_chan/pseuds/Moira_chan
Summary: On the day Lord Xander loses his wife, Laslow vows to remain by his side a little longer to help take care of his son. He just never quite expected to grow this attached to the young prince.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I died writing this tbh whyyy did I write something so loong uuuugh orz  
> Anywaaaay. Here's my fic for XanLow Week day 02, based on the prompt "family". It's kinda obvious from the tags, but please be aware that since this is set after the Conquest route, there are some Conquest spoilers! Also, babyrealms aren't a thing here because nope. Aand there are mentions of Xander being married to some unnamed woman (which can be whoever you headcanon as Siegbert's biological mom) so yeah. That's it. I hope you'll like it??
> 
> You can also read this [here on tumblr](http://moirakoro.tumblr.com/post/151017102942/title-step-by-step-theme-day-02-family-word)!

Laslow lowered his sword, panting, as a single, irritating drop of cold sweat trickled down his neck.

The last of his enemies had finally fallen – thankfully, because his overexerted muscles, his ragged breath and the sharp pain from where his right shoulder had been cut during battle likely would have rendered him unable to fight for a minute more. This battle had been a tough one, definitely. He only had to have a quick look around the field to guess just how murderous it had proven: the entire opposing army had been wiped out, but many of Laslow’s allies were wounded, some seriously even, or-  
His heart suddenly dropped and he almost let go of his sword. This was war; there were meant to be casualties among the soldiers who fought; yet, there were certain units this army absolutely couldn’t afford to lose. There were some, no, many _friends_ Laslow absolutely couldn’t afford to lose – and for a second he forgot to breathe as his panicked eyes roamed the battlefield, desperately trying to identify (or rather, hoping not to recognize) anyone he knew among the horrifying amount of corpses whose blood had turned the grass dark red. He soon spotted Peri in the distance, but she was still standing, thankfully, and the blood on her face and clothes probably wasn’t hers; everybody else seemed to have retreated. Lord Xander was nowhere to be seen.

A wave of pain suddenly washing over him, Laslow raised a hand to wipe his mouth and found himself coughing up blood. He had no time to worry about himself right now, however. Although they had fought side by side at the beginning, he and his liege had been separated during battle – now that it was over, he needed to make sure Lord Xander was alive and well before anything else, and it was all that mattered.  
If Lord Xander had been harmed, _or worse_ , and Laslow – his very own retainer – hadn’t been able to protect him… He didn’t even want to think about it, no; Lord Xander _had_ to be safe. They would never be able to win this war without him.

Fighting the weakness in his knees with all the strength he had left, he didn’t even wait for Peri to walk up to him before he dragged himself as fast as he could to the rallying point. A few tents had been set there, most probably for the army healers to treat the injured – he didn’t even have to check them all to spot his liege, however.  
And the sight of Lord Xander on his knees, shaking, with his face buried in his hands as Lady Corrin embraced him would forever remain burned in Laslow’s memory.

He felt powerless, then; unable to provide any help or comfort, not even willing to try, and useless, and hopeless; the most unsupportive, inefficient retainer there ever was – so he just stood there, and didn’t say a word.  
A few hours later, he learnt that this battle, the bloodiest one the army had ever had to fight, had taken the life of Lord Xander’s beloved wife, leaving him a widower, with a newborn son that was now to grow up without a mother – and on that very day, as he clenched his teeth and fists in a desperate effort not to cry, ravaged by his own inability to find anything to say, Laslow vowed in silence that he would remain by his liege’s side after the end of the war.

Just for a little bit longer.  
Just as long as Lord Xander needed someone; just as long as he could still do anything to help.

***

It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since the battle when Laslow held young Prince Siegbert in his arms for the first time.  
Bringing up a child during a war was meant to be difficult, even more so when both parents were soldiers who took part in battles everyday; Lord Xander and his wife had chosen to love each other nonetheless, and she had bore and birthed their son without hesitation. Although his parents couldn’t spend their entire days looking after him, like parents normally should, and he was often left in the care of maids who travelled with them or injured army members who couldn’t fight for a while, Prince Siegbert was loved – his chubby cheeks, curious eyes and sweet laugh said as much. To think that such a young child had already lost his mother…

Laslow knew how it felt.  
This wasn’t the only reason why he had immediately volunteered to care for Prince Siegbert, though. He did so because he was a loyal retainer of Lord Xander’s, obviously, and seeing how his liege hadn’t spoken a single word since the battle, preferring to remain in his tent and only allowing his siblings to visit him, made Laslow want nothing more than to give his everything into helping him, by any means possible. Besides, it wasn’t like anyone in the army was more qualified for this job than him; Prince Leo and his sisters already had enough on their plates, and nobody who had even the slightest bit of common sense would leave a baby in the care of Peri – she had many good qualities, of course, but patience definitely wasn’t one.

So Laslow had been entrusted with the care of Prince Siegbert, along with the wet nurse appointed to feed him, and he absentmindedly let the baby try to grab his fingers as he slowly rocked him in his arms. The feeling he had was rather… strange, but not unpleasant. Never before had he ever held a child like this, but although he had been a bit afraid to hurt him at first, he now found he almost enjoyed this. Prince Siegbert was warm and adorable, with blond curls just like his father’s – and as he tenderly tucked a stray lock behind the baby’s small ear, Laslow found himself thinking of his liege, and praying in silence for everything to be okay.

For the passing time to, someday, make everything okay again.

***

The war ended shortly after, leaving nothing but ashes and death in its trail – along with, just maybe, a flicker of hope that the peace so harshly obtained would last. Lord Xander, who had expertly hidden his grief behind the stern mask of an inflexible, almost heartless leader, gradually started to heal; and so did everybody else. Wounds closed as scars remained, and losses were mourned until pages could be turned – just as time kept flying, indifferent to the feelings of mere mortals, everyone kept moving forward, willingly or not.

Prince Siegbert grew up, blissfully unaware of the destroyed yet slowly reconstructing world around him, and Laslow remained by his side as he did so. Now that there was no need to fight anymore and that his liege no longer had to leave the castle very often, his duties as a retainer mostly consisted of making sure the young prince was always well cared for; thus he spent his days with him, watching over him as he slept, cradling him when he cried, calling for the nurse when he seemed hungry, and soon Prince Siegbert said his first words, which Laslow heard, and took his first steps, until Laslow caught hold of him right before he fell.  
Lord Xander managed to find more time to spend with his son after his coronation – thankfully, his retainer thought, because that seemed to make him happier than anything else. More than once he entered Prince Siegbert’s room unannounced in the early afternoon, his handsome features displaying a tired but satisfied look; he took a seat by Laslow’s side, then, and joined his son and his retainer whichever game they had been playing until now. Wooden horses, pretty dolls, stuffed animals – no matter which toys his father was holding, Prince Siegbert always looked at him with wide, admiring eyes, and Laslow never knew whether it was Prince Siegbert’s adorable amazed look or Lord Xander’s impossibly tender smile that made his heart flutter each and every time.

“Thank you,” the new King of Nohr told Laslow once, as the both of them left a sleeping Prince Siegbert to rest in his room. “This is long overdue, but… Thank you, Laslow, for always looking after my son as if he were your own.”

Prince Siegbert turned three, then four; and by the time he was five, most of the disastrous consequences of the war had been solved in the kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido. After mourning the loss of her brothers, Queen Hinoka had moved on and the smile she wore when she visited, although small, definitely was sincere. Once a far-fetched dream, lasting peace no longer seemed even remotely out of reach.

That was when Selena suggested it might be time for her and her friends to go back to where they had come from not so long ago (and yet, sometimes it felt like they had been in Nohr for decades). Odin wasn’t so sure, at first; but they had a home that was truly theirs, somewhere far, far away from here, and the three of them knew that they would have to go back eventually. The sooner, the better – they had already grown way too attached to the friends they had made here for their own good. So Selena said her goodbyes, hiding away the tears that threatened to spill on her face, and Odin wrote letters-  
But Laslow looked at Prince Siegbert’s little fingers tightly gripping the sleeve of his shirt while they played, remembered his liege’s words, and instantly knew that he couldn’t leave. That he wouldn’t leave. Not as long as Lord Xander needed his help – just as he had sworn on that fateful day.  
So he shook his head, quietly; and as Severa and Owain went back to Ylisse, Inigo ceased to exist and Laslow stayed.

***

“Um… Laslow?”

Closing the book on his lap, he raised his head to give Prince Siegbert a questioning glance.  
A year had gone by, during which the absence of those who used to be his closest friends had more than once made his heart ache with loneliness; the same kind of loneliness Prince Siegbert was experiencing, probably, now that his father had left for an official trip to Hoshido and had been away for a few days. Laslow should have gone on that trip, too, but Lord Xander had asked him to stay so that the young prince wouldn’t be without a trusted adult to rely on – and judging by the look the child was giving him right now… Laslow sighed, his lips curving in a small smile. He was happy he hadn’t taken part in the expedition, in the end.

“Do you want me to read you another book, milord?” he asked gently.

Bed-time stories were limited to one per night, usually, but perhaps an extra one could help Prince Siegbert forget about just how he missed his father, at least until he fell asleep. He shook his head, however, and Laslow raised a disconcerted brow.

“What is it, then? I’ll do everything that’s in my power to please you, milord, but first you’ll have to tell me what’s wrong.”

The boy seemed to hesitate for a while, his eyes fleeing Laslow’s gaze as his small hands gripped tightly the old, worn plush toy he never slept without.

“Um… Can I… Can I get a hug?”

“A… hug?”

For a second, Laslow wondered if he had heard him right, but the look in his eyes dispelled his doubts instantly. This was a serious request.

“Father always gives me one before I go to bed…” the young prince explained. “And- And I can’t really sleep well without it…”

His voice almost broke as he uttered the last words, and Laslow felt his heart drop in his chest. The boy looked like he was about to cry; just for how long had he been hiding this, trying to make it seem like he was strong? Furthermore, had he been having trouble sleeping ever since Lord Xander had left the castle? There was no time to think about this, though – as a retainer of Lord Xander’s, no, as a caretaker of Prince Siegbert’s, he had failed, and he’d better rectify his mistake as soon as possible.  
So he didn’t wait before pulling the boy into his arms and holding him tight, not even caring about the tears that had begun to form at the corners of his own eyes. Prince Siegbert seemed to enjoy the gesture, thankfully, and nestled his head on Laslow’s shoulder; they remained like this for a while, then, until the young prince gently pushed back his father’s retainer-

And just like that, it became a habit: every time Lord Xander was away, Laslow made sure he was the one who read Prince Siegbert his bed-time story, tucked him up and gave him the hug he deserved – and as _Prince Siegbert_ became _Siegbert_ , the loneliness they had both been suffering from seemed to alleviate just a bit.

***

If Lord Xander noticed that his retainer had changed his way to address his son, he either didn’t mind or chose not to say anything.  
What could he have done against it, anyway? One no longer even needed to pay the slightest bit of attention, now, to realize how close Laslow and the young prince had become, and how closer they grew each day. It was evident in the way Siegbert’s shyness always vanished whenever he was with him, in the way he always looked eager to talk to him about anything and everything. Sometimes, upon discovering a new book in the castle library or learning a new word or observing a new butterfly species in the gardens, he even seemed to forget about his father and ran to Laslow to share his findings with him instead – Laslow wondered if this was really okay, but Lord Xander reassured him most of the time with a quick nod of his head and the slightest of smiles. As the King of Nohr, he was busy, and knew well enough that his son always feared that he would disturb him.

So it was to Laslow that Siegbert came on that night, obviously, hugging his favorite stuffed toy tight against his chest after he woke up from what must have been a terrifying nightmare – and Laslow didn’t even hesitate a second before picking him up in a warm, comforting embrace. (He knew how horrible bad dreams could get; he had had some, seen some happen before his eyes, and in that moment he wished nothing else than for the young prince to feel safe and sound.)  
They talked about it for a while, then, quietly, as not to wake up nor disturb those who slept or worked in the castle. Siegbert told him all about the monsters he had dreamed of, and Laslow made sure to find proofs that none of them existed in this world – but when he made a move to stand up and leave the room, the boy grabbed his hand and asked him to stay, _please stay_ , in a voice so weak and pleading that he couldn’t say no.

Thus, he stayed, fingers intertwined with Siegbert’s until the prince fell asleep; and he must have dozed off at some point, too, for it was only when a hand on his shoulder shook him gently that he came back to consciousness.  
His eyes opened slowly, at first, trying to get accustomed to the darkness – but they widened as soon as he turned around to meet his liege’s gaze. As he realized he was still kneeling by Siegbert’s bed, his hand still holding the boy’s, he felt panic rushing through his veins and opened his mouth to speak; Lord Xander shushed him, however, and it was only once the both of them were out of the prince’s bedroom that he could properly apologize.

“I’m sorry, milord! I… Siegbert had a nightmare, and…”

He bit his bottom lip. He had no excuse to justify why he had found himself in the prince’s room past bedtime, or why he had even fallen asleep by his side like an idiot – surely, he was going to get… hopefully not executed, but punished, probably, or-  
He didn’t have to imagine anything else; suddenly, he heard Lord Xander chuckle, so softly he wondered if he hadn’t just dreamed it for a second, and the King’s calloused fingers brushed against his left cheek.

“It is alright, Laslow. Thank you. And please remember to get some rest.”

Laslow didn’t answer – and as he lay in his bed, that night, the only thing he could think about was how his skin still seemed to burn from where his liege had touched him earlier.

***

When had he started looking at Lord Xander this way?  
When had his gaze started lingering so much on his broad shoulders and muscled arms? When had his heart started missing beats each and every time he talked to him, patted his shoulder or smiled at him? To put it simply: when had he started harboring these feelings for his liege?

That’s what he wondered, as he watched the King give Siegbert one of his daily sword wielding lessons on a sunny afternoon.  
The young prince had been deemed old enough to hold a sword for a few years, now, but only practice would ever make perfect; thus he trained (and insisted on training) everyday, and while Laslow often had to take the role of a professor, today Lord Xander had found time to play this part himself. Not that it bothered his retainer, though – it was pleasant watching father and son rehearsing moves or sparring, and it gave him time to… think.  
To think about how handsome his liege actually was, and how dignified yet loving he looked, and how much his heart ached whenever he even remotely glanced at him. No matter how hard he tried to, he just couldn’t remember when it had all begun. Lord Xander had always been nice to him – patient, even, when he used to spend his days flirting with villagers who would usually complain about his attitude later, and almost caring sometimes… Even after the death of his wife, many years ago, he had struggled to be a good father to Siegbert, and he had thanked Laslow for his help multiple times; he had given him approving nods and small smiles and, even, soft touches sometimes. And Laslow had welcomed it all.

“Laslow? Please take your sword and come here. Let us show Siegbert what an actual duel is.”

“Uh- yes, milord!”

Although a bit startled, he quickly stood up and took a fighting stance. Lord Xander didn’t even have to deliver a single blow for his retainer to realize this duel was lost already, however – just by how his eyes moved of their own accord from the King’s determined eyes to his thin, pressed lips, and his curls, still as blonde as ever… Laslow knew. He _knew_ that it wouldn’t be long until this fight was over, and he knew that he would lose.  
He managed to block a few strikes, thanks to his naturally good reflexes, and even managed to replicate once or twice, but soon the verdict became irrevocable: with an especially well-placed hit, Lord Xander disarmed him, and Laslow was forced to admit his defeat.

“What happened to you, my friend?” the King asked, lips curving in a slight but teasing smile. “You had better not have been skipping training to go and harass poor ladies again.”

“I haven’t, I swear!”

And he laughed embarrassedly, hoping his usual smile would be enough to hide what he truly felt – but deep inside himself, he knew _exactly_ what had happened to him, and he knew that it had absolutely nothing to do with ladies, and his heart lurched when he realized he definitely was in deep, deep trouble.

***

Laslow closed his eyes and tried to focus on the sunlight, warmly pouring down on his face and arms as he stood outside in the most comfortable clothes he owned.  
So he was deeply, madly, hopelessly in love with his liege – his liege, the father of a twelve year old boy, his liege, who still wore his wedding ring despite being a widower, his liege, _the one and only King of Nohr_. He was already his trusted retainer, his close friend even, as well as the main caretaker of his son… but he longed to be more; and there wasn’t even the ghost of a chance that he would ever become more.  
A sight escaped his lips. He needed to get this, all of this, out of his head as soon as possible; and he only knew one efficient way to do so.

His bare feet slowly shuffled on the grass beneath them while he gave his entire attention to the moves he was about to perform. A few easy ones, at first, to the beat of a tune that played in his head; he picked up the pace, then, and before he knew it he was humming a song his mother had once taught him, his arms and legs and entire body getting caught up in a dance he had known for so long that he barely even needed to practice it anymore.  
He loved dancing. He loved dancing so much – it made him feel good, and free, and at ease. The more it tired his muscles, the more it took everything off his mind, too, and right know this was precisely what he needed-  
At least, until he caught a glimpse of a familiar face watching him from the castle door.

“Wah!” he cried out in surprise, almost falling down as he stopped abruptly. “S-Siegbert?!”

Upon realizing that he his presence had been noticed, the young prince blushed and his eyes widened.

“My- My apologies!” he stammered. “I never meant to interrupt…”

“No, it’s alright,” Laslow assured him, cheeks still bright red in embarrassment. “I mean… I’m sorry that you had to endure such a pathetic sight, though…”

He must have looked ridiculous – or at least, that’s what he thought, until Siegbert took a few steps in his direction and gave him the kind of incredibly serious, sincere look only he and Lord Xander were capable of.

“I did not find you pathetic in the slightest!” he stated with the confidence of a leader (and Laslow couldn’t help but wonder: had he always been so similar to his father?) “Actually, I… I enjoyed watching you dance, and… wondered if you would agree to teach me a few steps… perhaps.”

His usual shyness returning full force, he blushed and shot Laslow an unsure, almost scared glance, as if he feared rejection. Laslow hesitated for a second; he had never had an opportunity to teach anyone how to dance, and he had always thought the only person he would teach would be his child if he ever had one, but…  
A small, melancholic smile curved his lips. He would never have a child of his own, would he? And he didn’t want to let Siegbert down, anyway – especially not after the young prince had praised his dancing.  
So he smiled, and he agreed.

***

They started training together once a week, after that.  
Siegbert was surprisingly good at dancing, for the son of a man who always stood stiff with rigid shoulders and a determined, inflexible look in his eyes. His lack of self-confidence made it hard for him to fully express himself, sometimes, but this was nothing Laslow wasn’t used to dealing with – so he gave him advice, and he encouraged him, and soon Siegbert was able to pull off fluid moves with an ease that made it seem like he didn’t even need to make an effort.

“Laslow? Did I make a mistake?”

Laslow blinked, realizing he has been so deep in thought that he was frowning – then he grinned and let out a soft laugh. Siegbert looked adorably concerned, but it had never been his intention to worry him, no – rather, he had been wondering…

“I’m really proud of you, that’s all. You’ve improved a lot, lately. Somehow, it reminds me of when my mother used to teach me…”

Wondering if his mother used to feel the same pride that he felt right now, when she watched him dance. Wondering if it was alright to be as proud as Siegbert as he would be of his own son.

“Sorry,” he finally said once he noticed that the young prince hadn’t been answering. “The comparison probably sounds a bit silly, since we’re not related.”

“Well, actually…”

Siegbert seemed hesitant, and Laslow’s eyes widened a little. Still, he said nothing, his silence urging the young prince to continue.

“I… You do know that my mother passed away soon after I was born. Yet, ever since I was a child, Father and I have never been alone… for as long as I can remember, you were always here, Laslow. You read books to me, you listened to me when I needed it, you comforted me when I was crying… You even tried to teach me how to harass poor women in the streets, if I remember correctly.”

At these words, Laslow couldn’t help a guilty smile – Siegbert frowned in disapproval but went on nonetheless.

“What I mean to say is… You were always by my side. Thanks to you, I was never alone, even when Father was busy, therefore…”

He smiled. He smiled softly, sweetly, just like his father did – and Laslow’s heart clenched.

“I think I could say that I see you as the second parental figure that I never had.”

Laslow’s heart was beating fast, now; his cheeks were red in embarrassment, but deep inside himself, he couldn’t help being… impossibly happy. Just impossibly happy. Until now, he had no idea Siegbert felt that way about him – he had always thought the young prince only considered him as… a friend, at most, or more probably as the retainer of his father, a mere servant. Yet… The idea that Siegbert actually saw him as a _parent_ made his heart flutter in joy and tears form at the corners of his eyes.  
So he couldn’t resist the sudden urge to hug him, obviously – but as much as he enjoyed thinking of Siegbert as the closest he had to a child of his own… it was just as sweet imagining what it would mean for Lord Xander, Siegbert and he to be a family; and the fact that this dream would never come true made his heart ache in a pain that he feared would never entirely vanish.

***

“Laslow… You’re in love with Father, aren’t you?”

Laslow’s heart dropped in his chest.  
That was it, then. He didn’t even have the courage to look at Siegbert; but this was bound to happen, anyway.  
He sighed in a mixture of despair and resignation and closed his eyes.

“I am.”

***

The evening had already quite worn on when Laslow knocked at the door of Lord Xander’s room, and only entered once he was asked to do so.  
Tonight was just like any other night, really. He had brought a tray with a cup of his liege’s favorite tea and some biscuits that Peri had carefully baked earlier, as usual; he placed it on the King’s desk, then, like he always did, and Lord Xander raised his head to give him a tired but thankful glance. Their eyes met, he asked if Siegbert was sleeping already and smiled when he received a yes as an answer; Laslow’s heart missed a beat as his cheeks warmed up a little; for how long had this been their routine?

Nothing ever changed. Nothing would ever change.  
And Laslow had decided that he would force himself to be fine with that, no matter what – until Lord Xander opened his mouth to speak again.

“Laslow, do you have a minute? There is something I would like to speak to you about.”

Laslow froze, a bad feeling suddenly obstructing his throat. He had no valid reason to refuse to hear his liege, however, so he stayed in the room and only nodded his head.

“Laslow…”

The King cleared his throat. He looked hesitant, for some reason – something definitely wasn’t right, and the realization only added to Laslow’s growing anxiety.

“I… am grateful. I should have told you this years ago, but… Do you remember how I once told you that I did not mind you being away from me, as long as you remained alive? Well, I… meant it, at that time, but right now I must confess: I was, and still am grateful that you decided to stay when Odin and Selena left.”

“… uh?”

He had been expecting something worse; his liege didn’t leave him time to answer, though, and looked him in the eye before going on, his eyes fiery with determination.

“I am convinced that, had you not been here, Siegbert’s childhood would have been much less pleasant. Furthermore… Did you know he came to me a few days ago?”

Laslow shook his head and- had Lord Xander just… averted his gaze, right before he closed his eyes?

“He asked me if…,” he continued, and every word he said seemed so hard to let out, “if I loved you.”

Then he fell silent.  
And Laslow stopped breathing, stopped thinking, stopped- stopped living as a whole.  
Until three words – only three more little words – made his heart literally burst-

“And I do.”

Burst into a mixture of incredulity and happiness, overwhelming happiness, as well as a deep fear that he may have misheard or misunderstood, and so many feelings he couldn’t even name or recognize-  
Thankfully, the King went on, and he was so consumed by the words he was so desperately trying to utter that he didn’t even notice the tears forming at the corners of Laslow’s eyes.

“I had not realized until he asked me… but I do. And I know that Siegbert loves you, too. So…”

In a slow, yet determined gesture, a gesture that he seemed to have practiced again and again until he was able to make it look confident, he took off the sole gold band that had never once left his left ring finger in fourteen years – and carefully placed it on the desk before him.  
His fingers lingered on it a few seconds more while he kept his eyes closed, as if praying for this to be the right decision; but when he let go of it for good and turned to look at Laslow again, his eyes where the most determined that his retainer had ever seen.

“If you are willing to have me as well… I would like the three of us to officially become the family that we have been for so long now.”

He paused, just long enough for his lips to curve into the softest, most loving of smiles.

“So, Laslow… will you be with me?”

And by the time he finally found himself able to speak again, Laslow was crying so much that he couldn’t even properly utter the _yes_ he was dying to scream to the entire world.

**Author's Note:**

> The temporality turned out to be kinda messy in the end... oops. Thank you very much for reading, though!! ♥


End file.
